Second home, second family

I believe that this program is the best for someone who would like to improve their Spanish, is interested in social change, and wants to explore a beautiful country! The program is split into two parts, one when you are in classes and lectures and two when you are doing either your research project or internship. While classes are extremely long (9am-5pm) and difficult for those like myself who did not have a good grasp of the language, you learn a lot about the social climate in Chile. On the bright side, you do get an excursion to the north and south during the classes part of the program, which is a nice break from the instant coffee and lecturers.
For the last month I chose to do an ISP over an internship, which I highly recommend if you have good time management and if you would like to take that time to travel within the country. 25 pages in Spanish seems scary, but you have a large network of support and if it is on a subject you are passionate about the page count doesn't matter, trust me!
For me, I thought the homestay element was the best feature of the program. I saw that my Spanish improved exponentially by just listening and talking with my host mom and my host sister, who I am still in contact with to this day. I recommend that you try and spend as much time as possible with your family because they will teach you the most about Chilean culture. Homestay was probably the thing that I was most terrified for, but ended up being my favorite part of the program.
Also worth noting, I am a vegetarian that leans towards being dairy free. If you are a vegetarian as well, do not worry about eating. I found no problem with finding the food that I needed, my host mom even tried out veggie burgers for me! I ate a ton of salads, eggs, and lentils, which is what I usually eat anyways. I do think that if you are gluten free or vegan it will be a bit difficult for you because Chileans do eat a lot of bread and cheese. It definitely will not be impossible for you to eat, just a little challenging.
My biggest recommendation to students entering this program is to practice your Spanish everyday (podcasts, Duolingo, telenovelas, etc), pack JACKETS (I was very cold the first month I was in Chile), and be open to the culture. Culture shock is real, but if you are expecting it, it will be okay. I also recommend taking every opportunity you can to explore Chile, this skinny country is full of different places and things to do!